Turkish airports see passenger numbers rise in August

By Tuba Ongun

Turkish airports welcomed 25.2 million passengers in August, including transit travelers, marking a 1.9% increase from the same month last year, according to the country’s transport and infrastructure minister, Abdulkadir Uraloglu.

The figures, released by the State Airports Authority General Directorate (DHMI), revealed that 9.2 million passengers took domestic flights, while nearly 16 million traveled on international routes.

In addition to passenger growth, Turkish airports served 231,699 planes in August, which includes overflights, representing a 2% rise compared to the previous year. Air cargo traffic also saw a significant increase, totaling 493,183 tons.

Istanbul’s two major airports played a crucial role in this growth, handling over 45% of the country’s total air passengers last month. IGA Istanbul Airport welcomed 7.7 million passengers, a 1% increase from August 2022, and managed 46,933 flights. Meanwhile, Sabiha Gokcen Airport, located on Istanbul’s Anatolian side, reported 3.9 million passengers and 21,468 flights.

Year-to-date, Türkiye's airports have served approximately 154.9 million passengers from January to August, reflecting an 8.4% increase compared to the same period last year. The total number of flights during this timeframe reached 1.5 million, including overflights.